Planes in Space

Calculus III

Josh Engwer
TTU

05 September 2014

Josh Engwer (TTU)

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Special Planes (Coordinate Planes)



Mnemonic Device: missing variable = 0
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Special Planes (Coordinate Planes)



Mnemonic Device: missing variable = 0
Josh Engwer (TTU)

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Special Planes (Coordinate Planes)



Mnemonic Device: missing variable = 0
Josh Engwer (TTU)

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Equations of Planes (Definition)

Definition
The standard form of a plane is:
Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
where A, B, C, D R.

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Equations of Planes (CASE I)

Given plane with normal vector ~n = hn1 , n2 , n3 i & containing point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
Equation of Plane: Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

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Equations of Planes (CASE I)

Given plane with normal vector ~n = hn1 , n2 , n3 i & containing point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
Equation of Plane: n1 x + n2 y + n3 z + D = 0

Let components of normal vector ~n be the coefficients of x, y, z.

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Equations of Planes (CASE I)

Given plane with normal vector ~n = hn1 , n2 , n3 i & containing point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
Equation of Plane: n1 x + n2 y + n3 z + D = 0

Substitute given point (x0 , y0 , z0 ) into x, y, z respectively:

n1 x0 + n2 y0 + n3 z0 + D = 0
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Equations of Planes (CASE I)

Given plane with normal vector ~n = hn1 , n2 , n3 i & containing point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
Equation of Plane: n1 x + n2 y + n3 z + (n1 x0 n2 y0 n3 z0 ) = 0

Solve the resulting equation for D:

Josh Engwer (TTU)

Planes in Space

D = n1 x0 n2 y0 n3 z0

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Equations of Planes (CASE I)

Given plane with normal vector ~n = hn1 , n2 , n3 i & containing point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
Equation of Plane: n1 (x x0 ) + n2 (y y0 ) + n3 (z z0 ) = 0

Group terms.

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Equations of Planes (CASE I)

Proposition
Equation of plane with normal vector ~n = hn1 , n2 , n3 i and containing point
P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) is:
n1 (x x0 ) + n2 (y y0 ) + n3 (z z0 ) = 0
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Equations of Planes (CASE II)

Given a plane containing three noncollinear points P, Q, R.

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Equations of Planes (CASE II)

Given a plane containing three noncollinear points P, Q, R.

Form vectors PQ and PR.

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Equations of Planes (CASE II)

Given a plane containing three noncollinear points P, Q, R.

Form normal vector ~n using a cross product: ~n = PQ PR

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Equations of Planes (CASE II)

Given a plane containing three noncollinear points P, Q, R.

Using normal vector ~n and one of the three given points P, Q, R, follow CASE I.

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Equations of Planes (CASE III)

Given a plane containing intersecting lines `1 , `2 .

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Equations of Planes (CASE III)

Given a plane containing intersecting lines `1 , `2 .

~ and ~v parallel to lines `1 and `2 respectively.

Form vectors w

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Equations of Planes (CASE III)

Given a plane containing intersecting lines `1 , `2 .

~
Form normal vector ~n using a cross product: ~n = ~v w

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Equations of Planes (CASE III)

Given a plane containing intersecting lines `1 , `2 .

Pick any (simple) point P on either line `1 or `2 .

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Equations of Planes (CASE III)

Given a plane containing intersecting lines `1 , `2 .

Using normal vector ~n and point P, follow CASE I.

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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 1)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 1)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

Extract normal vector from plane: ~n = hA, B, Ci.

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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 1)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
Find an equation for the line `.

Notice that line ` is parallel to normal vector ~n.

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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 1)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
Find an equation for the line `.

Equation of line ` containing

point P0 and orthogonal to plane is:
x = x0 + At

y = y0 + Bt
z = z0 + Ct

tR
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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 1)

Proposition
Equation of line ` containing point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 )
and orthogonal to plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0 is:

x = x0 + At

y = y0 + Bt
z = z0 + Ct

tR
Josh Engwer (TTU)

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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 2)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
Find the point of intersection of the line & plane.

Equation of line ` containing

point P0 and orthogonal to plane is:
x = x0 + At

y = y0 + Bt
z = z0 + Ct

tR
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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 2)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
Find the point of intersection of the line & plane.

Substitute equation of line ` into equation of plane, then solve for parameter t.

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Line Orthogonal to a Plane (PART 2)

Given point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0
Find the point of intersection of the line & plane.

Plug value of t into equation of line ` to determine point Q where the line
intersects plane.

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

Extract normal vector from the plane: ~n = hA, B, Ci

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

Pick any (simple) point Q on the plane.

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

Form vector QP.

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

Form right triangle.

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

cos =
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d
||QP||

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

d = ||QP|| cos
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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

||~n||d = ||QP||||~n|| cos

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

||~n||d = |QP ~n|

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Distance between Point and Plane (Derivation)

Given point P and plane Ax + By + Cz + D = 0

d=
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|QP ~n|
||~n||

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Distance between Point and Plane (Formula)

Proposition
The distance, d, between a point P and a plane is:
d=

|QP ~n|
||~n||

where ~n is a normal vector to the plane

and Q is any (simple) point on the plane.
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Distance between Two Parallel Planes

Given parallel planes
P1 : A1 x + B1 y + C1 z + D1 = 0 and P2 : A2 x + B2 y + C2 z + D2 = 0

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Distance between Two Parallel Planes

Given parallel planes
P1 : A1 x + B1 y + C1 z + D1 = 0 and P2 : A2 x + B2 y + C2 z + D2 = 0

Extract normal vector to plane P1 : ~n = hA1 , B1 , C1 i

Josh Engwer (TTU)

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Distance between Two Parallel Planes

Given parallel planes
P1 : A1 x + B1 y + C1 z + D1 = 0 and P2 : A2 x + B2 y + C2 z + D2 = 0

Pick any (simple) point P on plane P2 .

Josh Engwer (TTU)

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Distance between Two Parallel Planes

Given parallel planes
P1 : A1 x + B1 y + C1 z + D1 = 0 and P2 : A2 x + B2 y + C2 z + D2 = 0

Find the distance between point P and plane P1 .

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Fin

Fin.

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